The Beginning
by Kari Anna
Summary: PRESLASH. When Buck goes back to Mount Prospect to own up to the fact that he's leaving, he sets in motion a chain of events that will lead to something far bigger than he knows.... Sequel to The Something... only semicanon
1. The Decision

DISCLAIMER: Roses are red, violets are blue, lawyers can say I claim I own it, but it's not true ;)

WARNINGS: Mentions of slashy feelings.

CREDITS: L-Syllabub, among others who encouraged me to continue, despite the fact that I'd already finished a chapter of this sequel, with no intention of adding it to its predecessor. Kelly Clarkson, whose song _Beautiful Disaster_ quite well describes what Buck would, I think, feel towards Nicolae.

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**PART ONE**

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**The Decision**

Sucking in a breath like a shipwrecked man about to dive into the cold northern waters of the Atlantic, Buck picked up the phone. And for what seemed like the umpteenth time in the few days that had passed since his decision to stay with Nicolae, he slammed the receiver back into its cradle before he could even punch the 'talk' button.

He felt like a coward. He could choose to remain at the U.N., tell the Antichrist he liked him in a way that made Buck feel sure God would never listen to his prayers again-- not that he'd been doing any of that since he'd told Nicolae how he felt. Buck had even decided he could accept that he was going to go to Hell. No way around that, now. Yet he couldn't even tell his wife he wasn't coming home.

Well, the little house in Mount Prospect wasn't home anymore. But that wasn't the point. He wasn't going back, and though he wanted a divorce now-- so Chloe could be free to find someone to love her and take care of her-- the journalist who was always so gutsy couldn't scrounge up the courage to tell his wife anything at all. It wasn't until the last half dozen times that he'd even been able to pick up the receiver.

Buck smacked his head on the counter the phone sat on. He glared at it. It looked so innocent, just a little white hunk of plastic with some wiring, a circuit board and maybe a chip or two inside it. Yet every time he thought about calling Chloe, the phone became like a giant monster, white-hot to the touch. The skin on his forehead was tugged awkwardly by the surface of the counter as he shook his head against it. _As if phones can really conspire against me. Man, have I gotten paranoid!_ he thought.

"Still struggling?" asked a familiar masculine voice behind him.

Buck nodded, head still against the counter, letting it pull his forehead in a new direction.

"Perhaps if you speak to them in person. New Babylon is receiving its finishing touches as we speak. Since it is my pilot's daughter to whom you are married, it will be no problem. Already there is an apartment set aside for Captain Steele and his daughter. You will have time to speak to them there," Nicolae offered.

A shaky sigh escaped the journalist's lips. Confronting them there would be even more cowardly than doing it here, over the phone, because even though it would probably be a face-to-face in Iraq... Buck shut out the mental images of security cameras and small, well-hidden bugs. No way Chloe and Rayford would really get their say in, if Buck broke it to them in New Babylon. "I really should go see them in person. It's not like Ray'll beat me up. Chloe might, but..." He trailed off, grinning. Though Buck wasn't so attracted to Chloe as he'd originally made himself believe, he _did_ like her, and her fiesty attitude.

Nicolae frowned. "Are you certain that is what you want, Buck? You have not even spoken to them."

_Ouch. What a stab to my pride,_ Buck thought. "Yeah. It's the right thing to do. If I wait until we get to New Babylon, she might not even be there, and if she is she'll expect to move in with me and the whole nine yards." He shook his head. "Best to get it over with now."

Ignoring the nervousness in the other man's voice, Nicolae nodded. "I will have my secretary arrange your flight to Chicago immediately."

Relief swept through Buck, followed by a torrent of nervous thoughts. He'd finally made a concrete decision, but what if it didn't turn out for the best?

* * *

Thank you all for your patience in waiting for this and other fics. For those of you reading _Tangled Webs,_ I'm sorry but that fic has been put on hold as I don't remember the rest of the movie and I like to make things fit loosely with canon. As for _Numb_ and _On Darker Wings,_ I will be continuing those stories as soon as time and fickle inspiration allow.


	2. The Arrival

I must warn you folks that I tried to center on Rayford and Chloe, in this chapter, and their thoughts and reactions rather than Nick and Buck. I should also warn you that Nicolae won't make anymore appearances in this fic, but I intend this to be a series of God-knows-how-many four-part stories, so there _will_ be moreNick/Buckslash goodness to come. Enjoy!

L-Syllabub: I always enjoy reviews, especially well-written, coherent ones like yours. I'm a review whore, but an easy to please review whore, because all it takes is one good review to get me to post another chapter, lol.

DISCLAIMER: Knock-knock. _Who's there?_ Boo. _Boo who?_ Boo-hoo I don't own it!

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**PART TWO**

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**The Arrival**

"CHLOE!"

_What a nice way to wake up,_ Chloe thought sarcastically as she dragged herself downstairs to the kitchen. "Nn?" she asked, unwilling to speak properly yet.

Rayford grinned at his sleepy daughter. _Must have stayed up all night on the message boards again._ He decided to make her wait a little. Pure torture, to her, with her curiosity. "Well, maybe you should have a cup of coffee and breakfast before I tell you what Buck said."

"Nn!"

Ray wasn't watching her anymore. He had turned to pour milk into his cereal, and to hide his amusement at her reaction. "Go ahead," he said, grabbing another bowl from a cupboard and setting it out for her.

"Nn!" she replied, an incoherent but imperious demand to know any news of Buck. When Ray still wouldn't answer, Chloe sighed and gave in, banishing the last remnants of sleep as she said, "What did he say, Dad?"

The pilot turned, and said nonchalantly, "Oh, he's just coming home today."

Chloe squealed. "_Finally!_ He said he'd be _four_ days late, not seven. It's not fair for Carpathia to hold him up like that."

"You'd better hurry and get ready. We need to be on the road in half an hour to pick him up."

* * *

When they found Buck's gate, he was already there. He was sitting, but his foot was doing a rapid, nervous tapping on the thin airport carpet. And in an effort not to play with the handle of his dufflebag, Buck was white-knuckling it. That worried her. _Did Carpathia find out he's a Christian? Or..._ She cut her imagination off right there, before she got carried away.

"Are you okay, honey?" Chloe whispered in her husband's ear as she hugged him. He remained in his seat, and didn't return her hug.

"Can we talk about this over lunch?"

Chloe glanced into Buck's eyes, then pulled away as she nodded. "Let's go grab a bite to eat," she said more loudly, for the benefit of any Global Community spies that might be keeping an eye on her husband.

Buck followed his wife and Ray out to the car, and was perfectly content to stew silently over how to break it to them. But Rayford, apparently, was not. "Carpathia's certainly getting more demanding about you. What'd he keep you so long for?"

There'd been the little three day vacation, yes, but there had been another three days after that. Of doing much the same as Buck was doing now. Trying to figure out the least damaging way to let the Tribulation Force know he was... switching sides. "Ahh, well..." He was stuck. _How am I supposed to answer that? "Oh, I told the Antichrist I love him, so I've taken up residence in his home. I even have a bed to myself now." Somehow I doubt they'd accept that. Maybe I should wait until we're at the restaurant. At least then Ray won't accidentally wreck the car when he hears._ "It's kind of a long story. I should probably wait until you can devote your attention to it."

So there was smalltalk for fifteen minutes, over what Chloe and Rayford had been up to in the past six days. Never had a quarter hour lasted so long. It felt as if eternity had come and gone, in the short time it took to get from the airport to the nearest burger joint.

The three went through the drive-through. Not really what Buck had intended. Oh well. _As long as Ray's not planning on eating while we're driving,_ he thought.

"So what's the deal, Buck?" the pilot asked, glancing into his rearview mirror as he unwrapped his fish sandwich.

The journalist didn't even touch the box his chicken strips had come in. "I..." _The first thing you have to know about journalism is background. It is on that foundation, that the truth is built._ The words of Buck's Journalism 101 professor rang in his mind, clear and decisive. "When I met Nicolae the first time, before anyone thought he was the Antichrist, I felt Something I couldn't quite explain. You led me to God, Ray, and that Something just kept growing. I finally figured out what it is."

"I'm guessing you sensed how evil he is. Maybe God has given you the gift of discernment," Chloe butted in.

Buck almost winced. Almost. "Not quite. God says we're to love even our enemies."

He let that statement sink in, let them realize what it meant. Chloe caught on first, having a feminine sensitivity toward matters of the heart. Ray was hot on her heels, choking on his fish burger, having gasped a piece down when it hit him. Buck and Chloe thumped his back as he pounded his fist against his chest. When his windpipe was clear, he rasped, "That's a gross joke."

"It's not a joke," came the wry answer.

"Oh, come on. Not only are you a guy, but you're a Christian. Besides, you _just_ married me. The Buck I know is _not_ that fickle," Chloe said, so determined to have him back that he almost wished he could believe her.

"Believe me, I've tried to convince myself how irrational it is. But just because it's not right and rational doesn't mean I can stop lov--" Ray interrupted, "Carpathia probably has you under his influence, like the people who saw him kill Todd-Cothran and Stonagal, but believed it was suicide."

Chloe nodded. "Being a Christian gave you some protection for short time, but maybe prolonged exposure made you more vulnerable to the Antichrist's influence. We should get the rabbi's input."

And with that, they were off to the underground shelter, Buck reluctantly in tow.

TBC...


	3. The Convincing

DISCLAIMER: Don't own it, and wouldn't want the credit for the actual series, since the plot is good but the actual writing sucks.

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**PART THREE**

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**The Convincing**

_If I ever get within spitting distance of Carpathia he won't know what hit him. My car,_ Chloe thought angrily. _Trying to tear Buck away from me like this. If he wants to play dirty..._ Her thought went unfinished as her father's command to unbuckle and get out cut her off.

Even as Buck scrambled to follow the worried orders of his father-in-law, doubt fluttered through his thoughts. Chloe could see it written all over his face. He didn't think the other Tribulation Force members would be able to help him shake whatever had happened, and it was starting to loosen her grip on the faith that it was just a bit of Carpathia's hypnotism. Rather than dwelling on that, she forced herself to focus on greeting Tsion.

The little shelter under the church was becoming quite homey with Tsion living in it, Chloe thought as she, her father and Buck hugged the old rabbi. She was tempted to tune out the rest of the conversation as soon as she heard him ask what had brought them there. "After all, to come here too often might be telling, despite the cover of going to church."

Rayford agreed, especially since Bruce, the church's _official_ pastor, was dead. "But we had to come. We think Carpathia may be using one of his mind tricks on Buck."

A frown crossed the older man's face. Though he wasn't that much older than Ray, that expression wrinkled his face and made him look a decade past his years. "What would make you think so?"

Disgust colored his voice, though Ray tried not to let it, as he filled Tsion in.

Tsion shook his head. "I do not understand. The Scriptures promise that this man, the Antichrist, will have no power over the children of God. He promises that no weapon formed against us shall prosper. And knowing you, you have already prayed for God's help, Cameron?"

Grateful that someone had realized he would have that much sense, Buck replied, "_And_ forgiveness, _and_ protection."

Studying him carefully, as if he might be an imposter-- and maybe the rabbi thought he was-- he asked slowly, "And you still feel this... love for the Antichrist?"

Buck ran a hand through his dark curls. "Nothing's even given it a bump in the road."

Rayford rounded on the journalist. "You're not fighting it hard enough!"

Worried, Chloe said, "Maybe you're onto something here, Dad. Buck, have you really repented?" _If he's not repentant... Please, Buck..._

"Of course I have! I've been on my knees over this since I _became_ a Christian! I kept begging for God to take it away, and fighting it with everything I have. I just... can't fight anymore, Chloe. I'm too tired." He seemed irritated that they would think he hadn't tried every route out of this sin.

Tsion shook his head and sank into the sofa. His gaze was trained on the floor as he spoke. "I do not know, my friends. On the one hand, I would say you may be right-- it may _be_ manipulation of some sort. But if that were true, the Lord would already have helped him. On the other hand, it may be that Buck truly does feel this, that it is his heart speaking. If that is so, no amount of repentance will stop what you feel."

"A year is more than enough time to repent," Buck said, his eyes sweeping the small group. Quietly, he said, "I think I'm lost."

TBC...


	4. The Beginning

DISCLAIMER: If I owned it, I'd be trying to make up to the world for coming up with a good plot and not only ignoring the chemistry between two characters, but ruining the aforementioned good plot that could have made a good story even if the author _was_ stupid enough to ignored said chemistry.

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**PART FOUR**

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**The Beginning**

Buck was going back in the morning, by plane. There'd been a big argument, Buck versus the rest of the Trib Force. They had argued that if he stayed they might be able to help, he had argued that he was beyond helping and that they'd be safer if he was no longer in on their plans.

When he had handed her the divorce papers, that had suddenly made it real. She wished she could say that was when it started feeling like this wasn't her life, this was happening to someone else. Instead, it was the opposite-- signing the divorce papers was the clearest memory she had of that day. Right down to the dry feeling in her throat, and the odd thought that she should feel like crying, but didn't. Chloe couldn't cry over this. It was too... _big_ for something so inadequate.

She turned over on the King-sized bed, away from the empty side.

* * *

_Thank G-- ah, whatever. It's over, and that's a relief,_ Buck thought as he waited for his flight to board. He'd hoped the Steeles wouldn't come to the gate with him, but they had. He was grateful wouldn't have to endure their stares much longer. The next flight to New Babylon was scheduled to take off shortly, and Nicolae had arranged for him to board ten minutes before everyone else. He was grateful for that, too. He needed time to think.

Or maybe to _not_ think, since his brain had been on overdrive since he'd spotted Chloe and Ray at the airport the previous morning.

Rayford hadn't spoken to him since they'd left the underground shelter at the church, deigning only to send him pitiful looks and read finger-pointing Scriptures out loud whenever Buck was within earshot. Chloe was still speaking to him, but she seemed to be pretending that everything was just the way it had been before, and that was worse than if she had beaten him up _and_ stopped talking to him.

A flight attendant called his name, and it was all he could do not to scramble for the safety of the tunnel leading to the plane. Before he made more than two steps toward it, he was embraced by his soon-to-be ex-wife, and she kissed him on the lips and said, "See you in a few days, baby," just like she always had when he was going on a trip.

He forced himself to smile. He couldn't think of anything appropriate to say to that, so he said nothing at all. When he'd slipped out of her arms, he made himself continue at a normal pace toward the plane.

* * *

As soon as Buck was out of sight, Rayford asked, "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

"I meant that, Dad. We'll find a way to snap him out of this. We have to. Maybe we won't be together, and maybe he'll never really love me, but for his soul's sake we have to help him fight this."

_She really is a trooper. Just like her old man,_ Rayford thought as he hugged her.

END...

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Stay tuned for the third installment of this so-far unnamed series! 

ROLL THE PREVIEW, MUSES!

Gavin: Consider this my two weeks' notice. -_Gives her the birdie-_

Cyri: You say that every two weeks, and come Monday, you're still here. Just roll the stupid tape.

A red dot moved along the wall, searching for a target. If he'd been paying attention, he'd have seen it make its journey along the pale sandstone wall, but as it was he was distracted.

"Gotcha," the sniper whispered with a smirk. The slightest pressure on the trigger, and the King of the World would be out of commission, possibly for good. The red dot settled on the bit of upper back that was above the back of the sofa. _Look into the scope, make sure my aim is _perfect..._ HA!_

The mark was hit.

COMING SOON TO A FANFIC ARCHIVE NEAR YOU... _The Battlecry._ Chloe wants her husband back, whether that's God's plan or not...


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